• FQXi Essay Contest - Spring, 2017

  • Is Milgrom’s MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) fundamental for philosophy, science, and the physical interpretation of string theory? by David Brown

"But here, I will argue that, while MOND is unconventional and inconstitent with the current cosmological paradigm, it is by no means in the category of crazy ideas. And we should recall that many constructs of modern physics, such as quarks, were at an early stage considered crazy and condemned quite viciously by renown scientists." -- Robert H. Sanders

"A historical perspective on Modified Newtonian Dynamics", 2014, (page 19) arXiv.org

Is Milgrom the Kepler of contemporary cosmology? Is the Koide formula essential for understanding the foundations of physics? Does square-root(mass) have some profound meaning in terms of the foundations of physics? Is Lestone's theory of virtual cross sections essential for understanding the foundations of physics? Is the value of the fine-structure constant a happenstance of the string landscape?

Fine-structure constant, Wikipedia

happenstance, Wiktionary

String landscape, Wikipedia

What is the most fundamental insight in quantum theory? Is it Heisenberg's uncertainty principle?

Uncertainty principle, Wikipedia

What is the most fundamental insight in general relativity theory? Is it Einstein's equivalence principle?

Equivalence principle, Wikipedia

Does string theory with the infinite nature hypothesis suggest that the uncertainty principle needs some modification based upon the string landscape? Does string theory with the finite nature hypothesis suggest that the equivalence principle needs some modification based upon Wolfram's cosmological automaton?

My guess is that the equivalence principle has 4 problems: (1) Dark energy as a weird, negative pressure suggests that dark energy has negative inertial mass-energy with respect to the string landscape. Is dark energy the result of the escape of gravitons from the boundary of the multiverse into the interior of the multiverse? Does dark energy obey the equivalence principle? (2) Does dark matter obey the equivalence principle? Does dark matter have positive gravitational mass-energy and zero inertial mass-energy? (3) Does the equivalence principle fail when energy-density becomes large enough? (4) Does the equivalence principle fail when energy-density becomes close enough to zero?

    To your number 3 and 4 questions concerning violations of the equivalence principle failing due to energy densities being close to zero or very large that is a possibility. However, the violations will still be small enough for GTR to remain valid and this hints at its robustness in our observable Universe. In the low-energy GR will work from outside galactic halos (in interstellar space) all the way to the observable gravitational endpoint of neutron star structure or similar mass black hole or the larger galactic black hole toward the center of the galaxy. That there might be a slight dynamism suggests that our Newton constant is at a hovering value and is a geometric mean of a slightly lesser Newton constant value which lies outside the galactic halo and a slightly larger Newton constant value on top of neutron star structure or a similar mass black hole (or larger). At the observable gravitational endpoint (black hole) it suggests that our metrology or way of measuring using Length, Mass and Time is no longer viable e.g. Newton constant is units m^3 k^-1 s^-2. This is where a quantum gravity is needed and GR begins to fail.This will not be observed in our physical Universe. The gravitational coupling constant is not exactly the same as the Newton constant as it is dimensionless and it exists on the exponential so that it falls out of the realm of use in the GR geometry but it is more natural than the use of the SI system of units. The gravitational coupling constant will be more important in quantum gravity than any use in GR. I wrote a paper on the use of dimensionless physics forms and I was trying to establish a pathway of eventually using the Riemann Zeta functions to obtain these numbers to get to a fundamentality, a reduction, but it is difficult to convey this to an audience where no one has established this as research to look at. As far as dark matter goes it has a bosonic character to it and maybe a way of completing a complete gauge symmetry. Perhaps it is a holographic fuzz somehow containing information about nearby baryonic matter. Since I was interested in Riemann Zeta functions applicability dark matter is more like a p-adic number fuzz (still similar to the holographic fuzz) but with the fundamentality of prime numbers. The galactic halo where normal solar system type dynamics occur (like ours with our hovering Newton constant) has a bosonic p-adic nature to it, so maybe its fractal too residing in the low-energy. What if this aspect of dark matter is what survives the intial Planck energies and survives the ride all the way down to our low-energy world and retains its fundamental character.

    Dear David Brown.

    I have read your essay and suggest that you read Dark Matter http://vixra.org/pdf/1303.0207v3.pdf

    Quantum Mechanics claims that an electron can be both spin-up and spin-down at the same time. In my conceptual physics Essay on Electron Spin, I have proved that this is not true. Please read: https://fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/3145 or https://fqxi.org/data/essay-contest-files/Rajpal_1306.0141v3.pdf

    Kamal Rajpal

      Kamal Rajpal's idea "... photons with the least energy will correspond to photons with a temperature close to zero kelvin ..." (vixra.org) is likely to be correct provided that nature is finite and digital -- and might be correct if nature is infinite. Do least-energy photons exist in nature and not just in theory? Can absolute zero be approximated with arbitrary accuracy?

      Observe the chicken. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because we fail to live in an alternate universe in which chickens never evolved. What is observation? What is measurement? Why does measurement exist? Consider 2 concepts:

      (1) The observer creates the measurement by causing a selection among quantum possibilities.

      (2) Measurement is a natural process that separates the boundary of the multiverse from the interior of the multiverse. The observer's thoughts and actions are entirely caused by Fredkin-Wolfram information.

      What are other plausible concepts of measurement?

      Measurement problem, Wikipedia

      Dear David Brown,

      I agree that 'zero point photons' is a theoretical concept. Thanks. The CMB photons at 2.7 K do exist.

      Kamal Rajpal

      What are the most fundamental questions concerning science and technology? Is reality more fundamental than language? Is applied mathematics more fundamental than pure mathematics? Are time, space, energy, and quantum information the 4 most fundamental concepts in physics? In order to unify Newton's 3 laws of motion, Newton's law of gravity, and Maxwell's equations, Einstein introduced spacetime in special relativity (1905) and in general relativity (1916). However, in general relativity, there is a concept of the fundamental geometric tensor and a concept of the energy-momentum tensor. Can spacetime and energy be unified into a single concept? Is string theory the way to mathematically unify energy with spacetime, forming a quantum theory of gravity? If there are n virtual particles that move independently, then should there be a mathematical model having n dimensions? Are the real numbers, the complex numbers, the quaternions, and the octonions the 4 most important mathematical structures? Can 9 copies of the octonions be used in explaining the foundations of physics? In any case, I say that Milgrom is the Kepler of contemporary cosmology.

      Modified Newtonian dynamics, Wikiquote

      "Seen in the light of evolution, biology is, perhaps, intellectually the most satisfying and inspiring science. Without that light it becomes a pile of sundry facts -- some of them interesting or curious but making no meaningful picture as a whole." -- Theodosius Dobzhansky

      Theodosius Dobzhansky

      Is it true that biology reduces to chemistry reduces to physics? Is there a unified theory of mathematics and theoretical physics? In materials science, any valid material must pass the tests of chemistry. Can one think of science as a tree of knowledge with a trunk consisting of quantum theory, roots in the multiverse, and branches in chemistry? Is string theory a profound unifying principle for both physics and mathematics?

      What are the 4 most important mathematical structures? Could the answer be the real numbers, the complex numbers, the quaternions, and the octonions?

      "The octonions" by John C. Baez, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. vol. 39 (2002)

      "Division algebras and quantum theory" by John C. Baez, arXiv.org, 2011

      3 copies of the Leech lattice = 9 copies of the octonions = 64 dimension of virtual particle paths 3 dimensions of linear momentum 3 dimensions of angular momentum 2 dimensions of quantum spin ???

      Consider a statement made by Leonardo da Vinci:

      La natura è piena d'infinite stagioni (o cagioni) che non furono mai in esperienza. (Nature is full of infinite seasons (or causes) that have never been experienced.)

      Leonardo da Vinci scienziato, it.wikisource.org

      Is nature infinitely complicated? Are string vibrations confined to 3 copies of the Leech lattice? Can string vibrations be interpreted in terms of 3 copies of 26-dimensional bosonic string theory with Fredkin's 6-phase clock? Is it useful to think in terms of measuring space and time with 6 particle beams, consisting of 3 electron beams and 3 positron beams? What about 3 beams of muons and 3 beams of anti-muons? What about 3 beams of tauons and 3 beams of anti-tauons?

      "What are the implications of the 3-fold way?" -- John C. Baez

      Division algebras and quantum theory", 2011, arxiv.org

      Does there exist a (1/3)-Koide formula that allows some quarks to have charge ± 1/3 ?

      From Wolfram Alpha:

      (muon mass) /(electron mass) = 206.7683

      (tauon mass)/(electron mass) = 3477.48

      (59^3 + 33 * 59^2 + 57 * 59 + 9 )^(1/27) - 1.59983643131952544 = 0 approx.

      For a = 1.5998364, x = 206.7683, y = 3477.48,

      calculate ( a^3 +(a^2) * x + a * y)/(a^3 + ( a^2) * x^.5 + a * y^.5)^2 Answer: .333333

      For the polynomial x --> x^3 + 33 * x^2 + 57 * x + 9 my guess is that 33 + 26 = 59 is meaningful because of 26-dimensional bosonic string theory and the fact that the three primes 59, 59 ± 12 divide the order of the monster group. My guess is that the constant term 9 is meaningful because of Lestone's heuristic string theory.

      Note that 8/5 - 1/(32 * 191) = 1.599836874 ...

      For a = 1.5998369, x = 206.7683, y = 3477.48,

      calculate ( a^3 +(a^2) * x + a * y)/(a^3 + ( a^2) * x^.5 + a * y^.5)^2 Answer: .333332

      Note that 191 = 2 * 72 + 47 and 47, 59, 71 are the 3 largest primes that divide the order of the monster group.

      Monster group, Wikipedia

      6 days later

      Does square-root(mass) = area ?

      In string theory with the finite nature hypothesis, is it possible to use quantum cohomology to calculate (muon mass)/(electron mass) and (tauon mass)/(electron mass) ?

      Quantum cohomology, Wikipedia

      From Wolfram Alpha:

      (muon mass)/(electron mass) = 206.7683

      (tauon mass)/(electron mass) = 3477.48

      206.7683^(1/4) - 3 - 3^2 * 11 / 5^3 - 3^4 * 14/ 5^11 = 6.59750 * 10^9 approx.

      3477.48^(1/4) - 7 - 3/5 - (11/2) * 3^2 / 5^3 = 3.21039 * 10^-6 approx.

      5 days later

      I have conjectured that the Koide formula is essential for understanding the foundations of physics and that Lestone's theory of virtual cross sections is essential for understanding the foundations of physics. Note that even if the conjecture that quantum information reduces to Fredkin-Wolfram information is wrong, my Koide conjecture and my Lestone conjecture might still be correct. However, the issue of pole versus running mass would somehow have to be incorporated into a generalized Koide formula and a more mathematically sophisticated Lestone theory.

      What is precisely the energy scale of a process?, Physics Stack Exchange, 2015

      Pole mass vs. Running Mass vs. Other Running Parameters, Physics Stack Exchange, 2015

      According to Alexander and Yunes, string theory seems to predict that the cosmological constant is induced by supersymmetry breaking. If this breakage occurs at the electroweak scale then the cosmological constant should be about 10^48 times larger than it actually is. If this breakage occurs at the Planck scale then the cosmological constant should be about 10^115 times larger than it actually is.

      Alexander, Stephon & Nicolas Yunes. "Chern-Simons modified general relativity." Physics Reports 480, no. 1-2 (2009): 1-55. arXiv.org preprint (page 5)

      My guess is that string theory with the infinite nature hypothesis predicts MOND-compatible supersymmetry. (Any form of supersymmetry that is MOND-incompatible is guaranteed to be wrong, according to empirical evidence.)

      My guess is that string theory with the infinite nature hypothesis predicts Wolfram's cosmological automaton with no supersymmetry. (Supersymmetry should be replaced by Wolframian pseudo-supersymmetry, whatever that might be.)

      What is measurement? Why does measurement exist? According to Motl, "Observation is always a messy event in principle although, in practice, the inaccuracy of the classical approximation may be extremely, expo-exponentially tiny."

      What erases and can restore the interference patterns, The Reference Frame blog, 13 March 2018

      In the Copenhagen Interpretation, the observer ultimately creates the observation or at least enables a classical approximation to some quantum event. What precisely is a probability distribution? What precisely is a real number? What precisely is a positive integer? Any definition that uses the concept of a complete infinity (or a potential infinity) might involve an infinite amount of ambiguity. Is observation a natural process that separates the boundary of the multiverse from the interior of the multiverse? Are time, space, energy, and quantum information merely approximations generated by Wolfram's cosmological automaton using Fredkin-Wolfram information? My guess is that string theory with the finite nature hypothesis implies no string landscape and no supersymmetry, while string theory with the infinite nature hypothesis implies the string landscape and MOND-compatible supersymmetry. Google "kroupa milgrom".

      Is supersymmetry an empirically valid concept? Can supersymmetry predict dark matter particles that can be empirically confirmed?

      According to Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, "The ultimate theory must be consistent and must predict finite results for quantities that we can measure. We've seen that there must be a law like gravity, and we saw in Chapter 5 that for a theory of gravity to predict finite quantities, the theory must have what is called supersymmetry between the forces of nature and the matter on which they act. M-theory is the most general supersymmetric theory of gravity. For these reasons M-theory is the only candidate for a complete theory of the universe. If it is finite--and this has yet to be proved--it will be a model of a universe that creates itself. We must be part of this universe, because there is no other consistent model."

      "The Grand Design", 2011, pages 180-181

      Have string theorists underestimated Milgrom, McGaugh, and Kroupa? Have string theorists underestimated Fredkin and Wolfram?

      Has the Pioneer anomaly been satisfactorily explained? Antonio Fernández-Rañada and Alfredo Tiemblo-Ramos presented a model in which the Pioneer anomaly is a cosmological effect due to a discrepancy between astronomical time and atomic time ... They wrote, "... This shows that the predictions of our model on the cartography of the solar system are exactly the same as in standard physics, independently of which time is used. The model is thus fully compatible with the results obtained by the Viking mission ...."

      "On the compatibility of a proposed explanation of the Pioneer anomaly with the cartography of the solar system." arXiv preprint arXiv:0909.0912 (2009) (pages 8-9)

      If Wolfram's cosmological automation is empirically valid, then there is a smoothing problem (to approximate energy and spacetime) and there is a flattening problem (to approximate string theory with the infinite nature hypothesis). If string vibrations are approximately confined to 3 copies of the Leech lattice in sting theory with the infinite nature hypothesis, then the Koide formula might be interpreted as square-root(mass) = 16 dimensions of bosonic uncertainty. There might be an interpretation of 26-dimensionals bosonic string theory consisting of 10 dimensions of general relativity + 16 dimensions of bosonic uncertainty from a 16-dimensional unified boson.

      error in previous post: Replace "square-root(mass) = 16 dimensions of bosonic uncertainty" by "square-root(mass) = 4 dimensions of bosonic uncertainty". It might be possible to formulate a duality principle in which mass-energy for bosons corresponds to 16 dimensions of alpha-prime & hbar uncertainty for bosons.

      5 days later

      Consider 2 hypotheses:

      Hypothesis 1: Time, space, energy, and quantum information are approximations generated by Wolfram's cosmological automaton using a finite network of Fredkin-Wolfram information.

      Hypothesis 2: As positive integers grow larger, they become less meaningful in terms of science and engineering.

      Consider an admonition from Errett Bishop:

      "Do not ask whether a statement is true until you know what it means."

      Bishop, Errett. Schizophrenia in contemporary mathematics, page 6. American Mathematical Society, 1973, prl.ccs.neu.edu/img/sicm.pdf

      Errett Bishop, Wikipedia